Research

The Purdue Center for Plant Biology offers diverse research opportunities from ecology to reproductive cell biology. This community of 32 faculty members provides a broad base of resources and research in basic plant biology and a dynamic training environment for graduate students.

Research Areas

  • Ecological and evolutionary genetics
  • Plant and insect chemical ecology
  • Reproductive cell biology
  • Cell wall biology
  • Cytoskeleton and membrane dynamics
  • Plant pathogen interactions
  • Hormone and stress physiology/biology
  • Plant metabolism
  • Biochemical genetics
  • Regulation of photosynthesis
  • Genetics, epigenetics and genomics
  • Computational biology

Funded 2025 CPB Seed Grants

The Purdue Center for Plant Biology (CPB) is pleased to announce the winners of its fourth seed grant competition. Proposals could be on any topic in plant biology, ranging from the purely theoretical to experimental tests of specific hypotheses, but must have been designed specifically for the generation of preliminary data that will be used directly and immediately in a larger proposal(s) submitted to federal, foundational, or industry funding sources.

Proposals address at least one of the following:

  1. be exploratory, high risk/high reward, proof‐of‐principle for a novel idea(s); or
  2. fill a last remaining gap(s) in preliminary data required for a newly planned proposal; or
  3. for experiments needed to address reviewer critiques in order to resubmit an otherwise favorably-reviewed proposal.

PI: Sergio A. Muñoz-Gómez

Co-PI: Venkatesh Thirumalaikumar

PI: Gyeong Mee Yoon

Co-PI: Ying Li

PI: Kranthi Varala 

Co-PI: Chris Oakley

PI: Morgan Furze

Co-PIs: Scott McAdam and Bradi Hardiman

PI: Clint Chapple 

Co-PI: Josh Widhalm 

PI: Natalia Dudareva 

Co-PI: John Morgan

PI: Anjali Iyer-Pascuzzi

Co-PI: Christopher Staiger

PI: Scott McAdam 

Co-PI: Mike Mickelbart

PI: Ying Li

Co-PI: Natalia Dudareva 

PI: Sharon Kessler

Co-PI: Josh Widhalm

APPLY TO CPB GRADUATE PROGRAMS

Create your own Plant Biology success story at Purdue University. Increase your admission chances by applying to up to three affiliated graduate programs with a single application and fee.

learn more